1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an umbrella, and more particularly to an outdoors umbrella comprising a lighting arrangement which is mounted on awning ribs to form an integral structure for mainly providing illuminating under the outdoors umbrella.
2. Description of Related Arts
Nowadays, outdoors umbrellas are widely used for a wide variety of outdoors activities, such as camping, outdoors cooking like barbecue, and large-scale recreational functions such as money-raising Fairs. Moreover, they may even be used in some occupations in which their staff is required long exposure in outdoors environment. Car-parking assistances outside restaurants can be an example of this kind.
While the traditional use of outdoors umbrellas are for shading, problem arise when the outdoor activities continue at night, or possibly in a cloudy environment, in which the primary function of outdoors umbrellas fades, for there is nothing to shade. On the other hand, in such environment, the activities may be forced to stop unless there is illumination provided thereto. In outdoors environment, providing adequate illumination for a specified activity can be troublesome, inconvenient and frustrating. One may put portable lamps or lighting devices which are capable of standing on the ground near the outdoor umbrella. Or one may suspendedly hang such lighting devices on the outdoor umbrella—a method by which the users of the outdoors umbrella risk dropping down of the lighting devices easily.
Lighting arrangements have been developed which are to be mounted onto the outdoors umbrellas for providing illumination to the area thereunder—a method which is generally better than utilizing portable lamps. Yet there are still some common drawbacks or disadvantages for such conventional outdoors umbrellas. First, the lighting system may alter the original operation of the outdoors umbrella. Conventional lighting systems, such as a series of light bulbs or LEDs, are usually mounted on one of the frames of the outdoors umbrella in such a manner that they are in some sense ‘protruded’ from their frames to prevent the umbrella from being completely folded. Furthermore, in the course of transportation, the lighting devices of the outdoors umbrella may collide themselves or with the umbrella's frames. They may be easily destroyed without external causes.
Accordingly, in order to completely fold up the outdoors umbrella, say, for convenient storage, easy transport, or even just to avoid destroying the lighting system, the user may need to detach the lighting system from the outdoors umbrella and store them separately. When he/she wants to use it again, he/she doesn't have any choice but to reassemble the whole thing. Depending on the size of the umbrella and the complexity of the lighting system, the process can be very frustrating and time-consuming.
Last, problems arise as to the power source of the lighting system. It is conceivable that it may not be possible for the user to find an utilizable power source to light up the system. It should be remember, in outdoor environment, such as a campground, electricity may be difficult, if not impossible, to acquire.